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How can I keep my pets safe during the holidays?
Isabella, Manalapan
Ah, the holiday season! We mark its arrival by giving young children massive quantities of candy and putting little fireman outfits on our Dalmations.
Then on to a celebration of thanks that can send us into a postprandial coma and our dogs to the ER with pancreatitis. We then move into Hanukkah, Christmas or another winter holiday of choice that brings joy to the young and young-at-heart everywhere, at least until the cats jump up and knock candles over, potentially setting the house on fire, or get tangled in discarded gift ribbons.
It all finishes up with New Year's Eve, which admittedly is the one holiday that probably does more damage to us that to our pets.
Eat, drink and be merry all you want - but your pets, not so much!
Just as over-eating can upset your stomach, eating any turkey, stuffing or pumpkin pie can make your dog or cat sick. NO TABLE SCRAPS FOR PETS! Fatty meats, gravies and poultry skin can cause pancreatitis, gastritis, enteritis, colitis and other gastrointestinal problems. As with other poultry bones, turkey bones are hollow and can splinter easily, putting pets at risk for bowel obstruction or perforation and choking. Pets are better off sticking with their own food for the holidays.
Never let dogs or cats eat chocolate. It contains a substance called theobromine that is highly toxic to them. Although cats will rarely eat anything sweet, don't give yours a chance to try it. The amount of chocolate that can be harmful varies according to your pet's size and how much it consumes, but small pets can die from eating too much chocolate. Don't take any chances. If your pet ingests chocolate, contact us immediately.
Be careful to thaw meat well out of reach of your pets, and remember cats can get pretty much anywhere. And don't underestimate the willingness of dogs when it comes to stealing food.
Be even more careful with the string used to tie a turkey or roast during cooking. This meaty bit of fiber can tangle in your pet's intestines, around the base of their tongue, or in their teeth and cause injury that can require surgery.
Oh, Christmas tree! And other holiday greenery...
Some dogs like nothing more than to lift their legs and urinate on the Christmas tree! Sometimes a barricade around the tree is enough to keep a dog away, but cats, of course, can't be foiled by any form of barrier. Avoid having anything hanging from your tree that could injure your cats. Tinsel or popcorn strings can be dangerous, as can anything breakable your cat could knock to the ground, like glass ornaments. Cats can also knock the tree down by climbing on it, so put your tree in a safe location where you can tie it to a railing or hook it to the wall.
Although cats are unlikely to eat a glass ornament, some dogs may think they are balls and chomp down on them, ending up with a mouthful of glass.
While the much-maligned pointsettia plant is not actually toxic to pets (although eating it's leaves might upset their stomach), mistletoe, holly and the bulb of the amaryllis plant are, so keep them away from pets.
Don't add any kind of preservative or other chemicals to the Christmas tree water, and cover the tree stand to keep your pets from drinking
the water.
If you're not there to watch the tree, make sure the lights and any other electrical decorations are unplugged, so pets can't injure themselves chewing on the electric cords.
The holidays often mean candles will be burning in the home. Never leave candles burning unsupervised with pets are around.
Call our office and we will be able to give you the phone numbers to the emergency hospitals that will cover for us over the holidays. Post the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center phone number on your bulletin board or refrigerator. It is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at (888) 426-4435. The ASPCA usually charges a fee, which you can pay by credit card.
Information is provided by Christie Keith, a contributing editor for Universal Press Syndicate's Pet Connection.
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